Wind Advisory
from SAT 12:00 PM MST until SAT 10:00 PM MST, Western Pima County including Ajo/Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Tohono O'odham Nation including Sells, Upper Santa Cruz River and Altar Valleys including Nogales, Tucson Metro Area including Tucson/Green Valley/Marana/Vail, South Central Pinal County including Eloy/Picacho Peak State Park, Southeast Pinal County including Kearny/Mammoth/Oracle, Upper San Pedro River Valley including Sierra Vista/Benson, Eastern Cochise County below 5000 ft including Douglas/Wilcox, Upper Gila River and Aravaipa Valleys including Clifton/Safford, White Mountains of Graham and Greenlee Counties including Hannagan Meadow, Galiuro and Pinaleno Mountains including Mount Graham, Chiricahua Mountains including Chiricahua National Monument, Dragoon/Mule/Huachuca and Santa Rita Mountains including Bisbee/Canelo Hills/Madera Canyon, Santa Catalina and Rincon Mountains including Mount Lemmon/Summerhaven, Baboquivari Mountains including Kitt Peak, Kofa, Central La Paz, Aguila Valley, Southeast Yuma County, Gila River Valley, Northwest Valley, Tonopah Desert, Gila Bend, Buckeye/Avondale, Cave Creek/New River, Deer Valley, Central Phoenix, North Phoenix/Glendale, New River Mesa, Scottsdale/Paradise Valley, Rio Verde/Salt River, East Valley, Fountain Hills/East Mesa, South Mountain/Ahwatukee, Southeast Valley/Queen Creek, Superior, Northwest Pinal County, West Pinal County, Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, Tonto Basin, Mazatzal Mountains, Pinal/Superstition Mountains, Sonoran Desert Natl Monument, San Carlos, Dripping Springs, Globe/Miami, Southeast Gila County

Tucson nightclub wins $1.6M in COVID-19 lockout lawsuit

The operators of a Tucson nightclub have won a $1.6 million settlement against the landlord who locked them out of their business during the pandemic.

The Arizona Daily Star reported Thursday that a jury in Pima County Superior Court sided with Congress Street Clubs, the owners of Zen Rock nightclub.

On Aug. 5, they awarded the owners over $1 million to cover the value of the terms left on the lease and over $500,000 for the cost of renovations and equipment.

An attorney for the landlord declined to comment to the newspaper on the decision or a possible appeal.

In the lawsuit, the owners say they closed in March 2020 per Gov. Doug Ducey’s executive order forcing bars and restaurants to shut down. They could not reopen for several months because of social distance restrictions, staff with COVID-19 and then another shutdown in June 2020.

Adam Peterson, an attorney for Congress Street Clubs, said they were not obligated to pay rent during that time under a "force majeure" clause in their lease. That clause relieves tenants hampered by acts out of their control such as governmental restrictions.

The landlord had argued the clause was too vague. By July 2020, the landlord locked the club owners out and seized $150,000 worth of equipment.

More Arizona headlines